Overseas Teams

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After the 3-6 away win at Bayer Leverkusen I said Borussia Monchengladbach will probably get beat at home today against Eintracht Frankfurt who had yet to put any points on the board.  I said it as a joke but having the Cobblers supporting experience and having been here for over two seasons, knew that it could come true.
Just over 45,000 saw The Fohlens, with the same starting line-up as against Bayer, enact my prediction 0-4 .  The first 20 minutes was end to end and again I predicted a few goals, although I was expecting a bit more of a balance. 
Dissallowed a perfectly good goal (proved/confirmed on TV and by pundits) by Mo Idrissou when only 0-1 down to a soft defensive goal, Frankfurt immediately went up the other end and put the second in, definitely changing the game.  The second half was a chasing game leaving gaps to be exploited at the back which the Frankfurters did by adding another two.

Three games, one win, one draw and one loss, 8th in the table, the roller coaster season continues at Stuttgart next Saturday trying to maintain the 100% away record. 

Dortmund beat Wolfsburg, Bayer came from 2-0 down at Hannover to draw 2-2 and Bayern drawing 0-0 at home to Werder Bremen, the sides are taking points and results off each other, no Chelski from the big clubs here but village team Hoffenheim have won three from three but no one is expecting that to last beyond their fifth game against Bayern but you never know!

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DEBACLE FOR BORUSSIA IN STUTTGART is one of the headlineas
Lost 7-0 away at Stuttgart away today, just seen the goals.  Looked like the goalkeeper and defence hadn't turned up!
All the talk on the German "MotD" was about Michael Frontzeck's (manager) ability to retain his job however he has had the dreaded vote of confidence and "we are looking forward to the home match against St Pauli on Wednesday".
How we have gone from winning 6-3 at Leverkusen, to losing at home 4-0 and away 7-0 to Frankfurt and Stuttgart with effectively the same eleven is the question. 

Bayern were held at home by Koln 0-0, Bremen were beaten at home by Mainz who now top the league 100% after four.
It's been a funny start to the Bundesliga with a lot of the fancied teams struggling.  Still, the Foals are equal 9th in the table prior to tomorrows matches, lets see how we get on on Wednesday against St Pauli, which unfortunately I will miss because I am away, thats two updates/results that my phone texts will be screaming out for. 

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Two results since my last report, lost at home to FC Pauli 1-2 after being 1-0 up at half time on the same night as our Anfield dream.  Unfortunately I was unable to be at either.  Just over 41,000 at this one.
Last Saturday travelled to Schalke and despite being 2-0 up at half time (Philip Daems pen and a goal from Michael Bradley) managed to hang on for a 2-2 draw on front of a full house 61,000.  Point gained as oppsoed to a point lost was the brave statement from the manager but.....
The biggest problem was the loss of our second first choice centre half Roel Brouwers for 4 games for a red card which when added to Dante's 3-4 weeks absence through injury leaves the centre back position VERY weak.

Steve McLaren's Wolfsburg at home this Saturday, with his fake German accent and all.... Hope for a draw may scrape a win?? 

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80 (Eighty) Bayern fans arrested before the Champions League match against Basle after major disturbances in the Basle city centre.
Bet that this doesn't get reported in the English press...

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Spieltag 7 last weekend saw the visit of Wolfsburg, including the 'fluent in German' Steve McLaren, to Borussia Park.  Although I didn't attend, I was away in Luxemburg, I am reliably informed that it was a much improved performance by 'The Foals' and were unlucky to only take a point from the match.  This was endorsed by the ex England manager in his post match conference that he conducted in a very credible German, with an English accent.  Although only 6 pts and 15th in the table of 18, I still believe that Borussia will be mid table at the end when their injuries and suspensions bring them back to 100% availability.
Bayern (8pts from poss 21) beaten 2-0 at Dortmund, St Pauli won away at Hannover, Schalke beaten again, this time by Nurnberg 4-2, leaves them 17th with only 4pts from 7 games!

Away this weekend at Hoffenheim, the village club, who continue to amaze by the fact that they haven't been a one season wonder and sit 6th in the current table.  FSV Mainz are steaming at the top with 7 wins from 7, with everyone wondering where their first points loss will come from, probably not this weekend at home to Hamburg though.

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Hoffenheim away beaten 3-2, Werder Bremen at home last Saturday, (near full house 53,511) dominated the play but still lost 1-4 with 'our' goal being scored by the opposition.    Leaves 'The Foals' bottom but one (sound familiar) with local rivals Koln the only team below, which is some comfort. 

Just got in tonight from a penalty shoot out to decide the 2nd round DFB Cup against Bayer Leverkusen who we beat 6-3 at their place earlier in the season. 0-0 full time, similar to the Bremen match where the amount of domination and chances created was embarrassing but without being able to convert any of those many chances.  Bayer were awarded a very dodgy penalty by the linesman, in normal time, which fortunately their centre forward put about 6 foot wide. When we went 1-0 down in the 105th minute, we expected the worst but immediately went and equalised.
Penalties, we scored every one and won 5-4 so through to the next round of sixteen. Crowd of only 34,000 is the lowest in the three years I have been here but that must be a reflection on the lowly league position and the fact that the Germans don't apply as much to their version as we do to the FA Cup.

Kaiserlautern away this Saturday in the league, could leap frog them if we grab the three points.

[PepesProdigy]

Does anybody here, know of a team called Trenkwalder Admira, there in austria 1liga. bascially i think there now my oversea's team as they're killing the league and are winning me quite alot of money. played 17 won 13.
anyone know about the club?

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Does anybody here, know of a team called Trenkwalder Admira, there in austria 1liga. bascially i think there now my oversea's team as they're killing the league and are winning me quite alot of money. played 17 won 13.
anyone know about the club?

http://www.bundesliga.at/bewerbe/index.php?PHPSESSID=44fc3191aa29c7bb5582c0c448b7dc8f&sub1=2&sub2=2_2&sub3=2_2_1&PHPSESSID=44fc3191aa29c7bb5582c0c448b7dc8f

and

http://www.bundesliga.at/bewerbe/index.php?&sub1=2&sub2=2_4&sub3=2_4_1&vrnr=2201

An Austrian team in the "Today for Tomorrow" First League of Austria (second division), doing quite well!!

They lost 0-1 at home last Friday though against 'Pellets' from the bottom half. 

If they win that and gain promotion they will be playing against the likes of Red Bull Salzburg and Linz who, IIRC, we played in pre season a few years ago.

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Kaiserslautern away, the score says that we were stuffed 3-0 but it was still 0-0 at 70 mins gone and our Moroccan Idrissou had missed an unbelieveable open goal which would have put us in front.  Bottom and probably staying bottom because we had Bayern at home last Saturday.

Full house capacity 54k playing in green instead of the home white.  1-0 up in 5 minutes following their keepers misjudgement of a long looping cross that went in, 85 minutes to hang on.........anyway 1-2 down at HT through Gomez and Schweinsteiger (pig mounter) who also hit the post with a penalty. Having my HT bier and bratty thinking that this will be 1-4 or 1-5, but a substitute to put on one first choice centre backs (both of whom have been missing for most of the season) changed the game completely, within 15 minutes of the restart it was 3-2 to the Foals, now we have to hang on....which we did literally until the 84th when failing to hit row Z invited Phillip Lahm to score the leveller.  Pig sick but would have been happy with that before the start. 

Still bottom but have the BIG local derby away at Koln the following week (13th) to look forward to.

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THE BIG ONE TO RIVAL COBBLERS v P@@H...
Die Rheinische derby Koln gegen Monchengladbach.
The cathedral city hosted a 50k capacity crowd to watch the bottom two teams of the Bundesliga battle it out, although league position is immaterial here.

The pitch was flooded with lots of standing water but that added to the excitement and intensity of the match. 0-0 at HT but possession and chances were with the Foals, probably be different second half whilst now defending the shallow end.
51st minute Bobadilla 0-1, 70th American Michael Bradley 0-2, 82nd De Camargo and Bobadilla finished it off in the last minute 0-4.  I was up in Hannover and listening to the results on German radio, I thought that I had misheard it or they had got the scores the wrong way round....
Beating your fierce rivals 4-0 on their own patch must be heaven, the 15000 travelling fans went beserk especially when the Monchengladbach born manager Michael Frontzeck (ex Man City) led the team dive through the shallow end towards the away fans.  Similarity with Sammo at Anfield.....

Downside is that both the returning first choice centre backs picked up injuries so may be out again for some time.....

Anyway off the bottom to be replaced by Koln...yes.... 

Following their eight match winning start Mainz have lost their last four and we have them at Borussia Park next Saturday, can the unbeaten run continue to 3 matches? 

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A month and four matches since my last update:
Mainz came and went with the three points although despite 0-0 HT and then Borussia being 1-0 and 2-1 up still managed to lose 2-3. 45,500 watched this one.
Away to top of the table Dortmund next and expecting the worst.  In front of just under 80,000 Borussia took the lead and although 1-1 at HT, Dortmund turned it on in the second to win 4-1 to go with form.
The next match at home to Hannover 96 who are also riding high in fourth.  1-0 at half time to the Fohlens, through a Michael Bradley free kick, until front man Bobadilla was tackled and as the Hannover player was on the floor 'stood' on him right in front of the linesman, red card and Hannover made the extra man count by winning 1-2.  Bobadilla received a 5 match ban from the DFB, a 50,000 euro fine from Borussia and banished to the U23 (reserves) for training. Only 37,500 there and the first time that I have ever heard Borussia booed off the pitch.
Thrid game on the trot where Borussia have been in front only to lose.
Last week, away at 5th placed Freiburg.  Another return of one of the missing central defenders Roel Brouwers was cut short again by injury in thew 41st minute.  Lost 3-0 in front of 22,700.

Tomorrow night (Friday) sees the visit of Hamburg for the last match prior to the winter break.
Rumour is that if there is not a win then Michael Frontzeck will lose his job! 

There will be one season ticket holder less at Sixfields on Saturday because he will join me at tomorrows match to watch the Bundesliga bottom team, although with the forecast at minus 9 to go with the thick snow we already have, it maybe a chilly night for the sell out crowd but the hot gluhwein served at our seats will be most welcome. 

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Minus 6 and thick snow on the ground didn't prevent the Fohlens falling to another home defeat at the hands of Hamburg (Ruud VN came on in the 2nd half) in front of 42,500. 
0-0 HT could have been as many as 4-0 up if the finishing had been better, best half of football for a long time.  2nd half was back to their old self, 0-1 then 1-1 by minute 46 promised an exciting half but RVN came on and hamburg scored direct from a free kick that should have been stopped by at least one of the players it went through.  Michael Frontzeck proved that he may have lost the plot when he replaced best player Michael Bradley with the Leon Constantine impersonator Mo Idrassou.  Calls for 'Frontzeck Out' were soon heard for the first time this season and although reports this morning say that he has full board backing, I will not be putting money on it.
Winter break and at least 7 points from safetybefore today's results, we will see.................Frohe Weihnachten 

[Poggy]

I'll be over in Berlin in a few weeks time. Shame there won't be any games on but we plan to do a tour of the Olympicstadium.

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I'll be over in Berlin in a few weeks time. Shame there won't be any games on but we plan to do a tour of the Olympicstadium.

Berlin is brilliant, so diverse, get across and see the old east (not how it is now), there is much of it still the same.
Ensure that you are very well prepared for the cold. 

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Last match before Christmas sees the DFB Pokal (Cup) run come to an end away at Hoffenheim in front of just over 23,000. Two give away goals again were enough to ensure that the Fohlens 'concentrate on the league' for the remainder of the season despite being the better team for the majority of the match (again).

Speculation amongst the German press over the security of Michael Frontzecks job heightens with Max Eberl, the Sporting Director, giving the dreaded 'vote of confidence' although that has a bit more solidity in Germany than it does in England.  The press have been naming a number of possible replacements but I believe that Frontzeck will still be here come 16 Jan for the first game back after the break, away at Nurnberg.
Hopefully with a couple of decent signings and the return of the two first choice centre backs, Dante and Brouwers, who have been out for the majority of the season so far who should help stem the goals against column.

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Michael Frontzeck will definitely be staying and has three new signings for the transfer window already confirmed:
Martin Stranzl (30) Austrian International central defender from Spartak Moscow who played in all their Champions League group matches
Harvard Nordveit (20) midfielder/utility from Arsenal, who had been on loan to Nurnberg.
Mike Hanke (27) a striker from Hannover 96 who scored against us before Christmas!

Strengthened the squad in all areas, hopefully with Dante and Broewers back as the central defensive first choice players we will escape the drop.
The squad fly to Spain on the 2nd for a couple of matches.
Only one other team, from the ten, has finished the first half of the season with only 10 points and escaped the drop in the Bundesliga so history is not good. 

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Following their mid season break, two match tour in Spain, straight into the four team 'WinterCup' at Dusseldorf Arena.
Four teams, 45 minute matches: Fortuna Dusseldorf v St Pauli (0-0) and Borissia v Kaiserslautern (2-0) in the semi's, St Pauli and Borussia through to the final after the 3rd 4th play-off,
180 minutes of football over four hours with nearly 24,000 attending under the roof, very nice and all for 12 euro's each.
Borussia won the final 5-3 on pens following a 0-0 to retain the trophy.
Good start to the second half in preparation for the Great Escape, especially as the the three new signings and the others coming back from longish injuries showed how we should be playing.
Nurnberg away next Saturday starts it off again. 

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Start of the second half of the season away at Nurnberg, exact mirror of the fixtures from the first half.
17 games to be only the second club in the Bundesliga to escape relegation after finishing with only 10 points at the winter break.
If the three new signings perform it should be interesting (similar to The Cobblers then) 

[Poggy]

I'm looking at going to the Borussia Dortmund vs 1. FC Nürnberg game which is scheduled for the 30th april. Only EUR 14.50 for a ticket in that stand behind the goal.

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I'm looking at going to the Borussia Dortmund vs 1. FC Nürnberg game which is scheduled for the 30th april. Only EUR 14.50 for a ticket in that stand behind the goal.

I have been there a few times for European Cup matches etc, the latest was in pre-season against Man City, that stand has a 24500 capacity (all standing) and is impressive.
Overall capacity is over 80k but the ground isn't the most pleasing on the eye.   It's as if they have put seats in where they could fit them.
Behind the stands in the concourses reminds me of old Wembley.